Safety bed rails

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A SAFETY BED RAIL HAVING LUGS PROVIDED THEREIN OR AFFIXED THERETO FOR SECURING REMOVABLE BED SLATS IN FIXED SPACED-APART RELATIONSHIP, WHEREBY THE BED SLATS ARE PREVENTED FROM SHIFTING OFF THE SIDE RAILS, MAINTAIN SUPPORT FOR THE BOX SPRING AND MATTRESS IMPOSED THEREON, AND SUBSTANTIALLY RESTRAIN THE SIDE RAILS FROM BENDING OR BULGING OUTWARDLY IN THE MEDIAL PORTION THEREOF.

1971 M. WEINHART SAFETY BED RAILS Filed Feb. 19, 1969 10. Q A. LIYI .M IW 2 n 2 w m 2 L. O 2 (I,

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T R M H4 B L & E w w MM 0 Y B 4 G F ATTORNEY United States Patent3,613,132 Patented Oct. 19, 1971 3,613,132 SAFETY BED RAILS MauriceWeinhart, 18620 Ardmore St., Detroit, Mich. 48235 Filed Feb. 19, 1969,Ser. No. 800,390 Int. Cl. A47c 23/06 US. Cl. -238 12 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a safety bed rail having lugsprovided therein or aflixed thereto for securing removable bed slats infixed spaced-apart relationship, whereby the bed slats are preventedfrom shifting off of the side rails, maintain support for the box springand mattress imposed thereon, and substantially restrain the side railsfrom bending or bulging outwardly in the medial portion thereof.

It is common knowledge that wooden bed slats often separate fromordinary angle iron bed rails, because the slats under dynamic loadingsooner or later slide off of the narrow bed rail horizontal supportingleg, allowing the box spring and mattress to fall to the floor. Becauseconventional elongated side rails have nomedial restraint againstbulging or bending, the middle slat-there are usually three to a bed,one near the head, one near the foot and one midway between them-oftenseparates from the side rails when the side rails bulge outwardly enoughto produce a distance between them greater than the length of thesupported slat. With the middle slat gone, the entire load is imposedupon the head and foot slats, and sooner or later one of them will alsofall. The inconvenience and embarrassment, as well as the effort andhardship of having to completely remove the relatively heavy box springand mattress before reassembling the bed frame and slats and resettingthe box spring and mattress can be easily appreciated. It is not asimple or easy job to perform.

The invention described and claimed herein involves the provision oflugs either formed from the metal of the bed side rails or embodied inbrackets secured to the side rails by welding or other suitable means soarranged that they will hold the slats in position upon the side rails,preventing them from sliding off, and will substantially restrain themedial portions of the side rails from bulging outwardly under thestatic or dynamic loads imposed thereon.

Since bedroom furniture manufacturers generally do not cut the side railslots at a uniform distance apart in their head boards or foot boards,whether the bed be twin, three-quarter or full size, there is always avariation in the distance between the side rails so that a uniformlypre-cut cross slat cannot be used. The distance between the upstandingleg of the side rails always varies, from as little as A" to as much asor more between such side rails, for each bed size. For this reason,bedroom manufacturers generally do not provide bed slats, which arepurchased from wooden slat makers by the furniture stores offering thesebeds to the public. The slats are produced and pre-cut, for each sizebed, to an oversize length so that they can be cut back to proper lengthby the furniture store personnel, or by the purchaser, for placementupon the bed frame at the time it is set up for use.

My recently-filed application, Ser. No. 773,922, filed Nov. 6-, 1968 fora Safety Bed Slat Construction, discloses and claims improvements in thebed slat member. This application involves and discloses and claimsimprovements in the bed side rails with which a conventionalsingle-piece wooden :bed slat can be utilized.

A principal object of the invention is to provide means for securingremovable bed slat members in fixed spacedapart relationship upon bedside rails. Another object is to provide lugs formed from the side railmetal for 10- cating and securing the bed slats in such fixedspacedapart relationship, or alternatively to provide such lugs inbracket members secured to the side rails. A further object is toprovide lug means formed from the bed side rail metal, or in bracketmembers secured to the side rails, which engage the wooden bed slatspositioned medially of the side rails to substantially restrain outwardbulging of the rails under the static or dynamic loads imposed thereon.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages ofthe invention will appear from the description given below, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way ofexample preferred forms of the invention. Reference is here made to thedrawings annexed hereto and forming an integral part of thisspecification, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bed frame embodying a preferredform of the inventive side rail construction.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bed side railillustrated in FIG 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a second preferred formor a modification of the inventive side rail construction.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further modification oflug means adapted to restrain shifting longitudinally of the side rails.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modification of the lugmeans arranged in the medial area of the side rail for attachment of awooden slat to substantially restrain outward bulging of the side rails.

As illustrated in the several views of the drawings and particularly inFIGS. l-3 inclusive, the bed 10 comprises a headboard '12, a footboard14, metal (steel) bed side rails .16 connecting the headboard and thefootboard into a frame for supporting a box spring 18 and a mattress 20thereon, and Wooden bed slats 22 disposed in longitudinally spaced apartrelationship cross-wise of and upon the side rails 16.

Each of the bed side rails 16 (only one of which is considered necessaryto be illustrated, as a pair of them are constructed in substantiallyidentical form, except that one is left-hand and the other right-handfor connection to the headboard and footboard and they are disposed infacing relationship across the frame formed therewith) comprises aconnection fitting 24 secured at each end of the side rail body 26 whichis formed as an angle with a vertical leg 28 and an integrally formedhorizontal leg 30.

The connection fitting 24 is of conventional construction that variesaccording to the design preference of each side rail manufacturer, andit is to be understood that the invention does not involve the fittingper se, as illustrated or otherwise, except that bed side rails embodysome kind of means for connection to other elements forming a bed frame.

The side rail 16 embodies lug means to function as bed slat retentionelements, which may be formed as integral parts thereof or may beattached thereto. In FIGS. 2 and 3, several pairs of such lugs areillustrated. The lugs 2, 2 are pierced to project upwardly from thehorizontal leg 30 in spaced apart relationship a distance sutficient toallow the ends 34 of slats 22 to rest between them upon the leg 30. Theheight of the lugs 2, 2 is approximately the thickness or height of thebed slats 22, but it is preferred that they not extend above the slatsso as to avoid engaging and damaging the frame of the box spring 18resting thereon. The lugs 2, 2 are pierced approximately inches from theends of the side rail body 26, and are about 2% inches apart, or adistance sufficient to allow the bed slat ends 34 to rest easily betweenthem without undue play or shift. The fit need not be snug.

Instead of the pierced lugs 2, 2 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, analternative construction is illustrated in FIG. 5, using pins 5, 5either spot-welded to the horizontal leg 30, or afiixed by a press fitin holes pierced through the leg. The pins 5, 5 are spaced apart adistance sufficient to receive the slat end 34 therebetween.

Medially of the bed rail 16, the lugs 3, 3 are pierced upwardly in sucha manner as to present their opposing inner edges '4, 4 to the bed slatend 34. The distance between these edges is less than the width of thebed slat end. In order to'bring the slat end to rest upon the railshorizontal leg 30, the end 34 must be driven down upon the edges 4, 4which will cut into the side edges of the slat end, fixedly connectingthe medial bed slat to the side rails. This connection can be made witha hammer or other suitable tool. Or, the slat end can be pre-notched atits side edges to slidingly receive the edges 4, 4 of the upstandinglugs 3, 3. When thus connected by the medial bed slat 22, the side rails16 will be substantially restrained against outward bulging or bending,medially of their length, under normal static or dynamic loading.

A modified form of medial restraint means is illustrated in FIG. 6,wherein pierced lugs 2, 2 are formed in the horizontal leg 30, in themanner described above when disposed adjacent the ends of the side railbody 26, with an intermediate upstanding pointed lug 7 adapted to spearand enter the slat end 34. Under the static load imposed by the boxspring 18 and mattress 20, the medial slat 22 firmly and positivelyconnects the two side rails 16 together at the pointed lugs 7 of eachside rail. Thus, outward bulging of the side rails is substantiallyrestrained.

An alternative lug construction is illustrated in FIG. 4, wherein thelugs are provided in bracket members affixed to the side rail legs byspot-welding or other suitable means. The brackets 50, for locating theslats 22 adjacent the ends of the side rail body 26, are made with apair of parallel lugs '52, 52 extending from the connecting web 54 whichis secured to the vertical leg 28 by spot-welding, as illustrated inFIG. 4, or by other suitable means. The lugs are spaced apart a distancesufficient to receive the slat end 34 therebetween, and their height,when secured to the leg 28, is no higher than the top surface of theslat 22 upon which the box spring 18 rests.

The medial bracket 60 (FIG. 4) is provided with upstanding lugs 62, 62spaced apart a distance such that their inner edges 64, 64 will cut intothe side edges of the slat end 34 when forced therebetween and down ontothe bracket web 66 which is spot-welded to the horizontal bed rail leg30.

Although the lugs 2, 2 and 5, 5 are shown extending from the horizontalleg 30 of the side rail body 26, these lugs may be alternativelyprovided in the vertical leg 28. The brackets 50 shown attached to thevertical leg 28 may alternatively be atfixed to the horizontal leg 30.

Upon forming the slat lugs in or attaching them to the bed side railbody 26 as described above, the bed slats 22 are placed between the lugsand the box spring and mattress are laid upon the slats in accordancewith the usual practice. The slats adjacent the ends of the bed cannotshift longitudinally, being restrained by the lugs 2, 2 or 5, 5 or 52,52, nor can they shift transversely, as they are limited by the verticallegs 28, 28 of the side rails.

The wooden slat 22 disposed medially of the side rails is firmly engagedby and connected to the lugs 3, 3 at their edges 4, 4 or to the lugs 62,62 at their edges 64, 64,

4 r or by the piercing lugs 7, whereby outward bulging or bending of themedial portion of the side rails is substantially restrained.

Although certain particular embodiments of the invention are hereindisclosed for purposes of explanation, further modifications thereof,after study of this specification, will become apparent to those skilledin the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should be had tothe appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A metallic bed side rail structure, for a bed frame having a pair ofspaced apart substantially parallel side rails adapted to support andmaintain a plurality of transversely disposed bed slats in substantiallyparallel longitudinally spaced apart relationship thereon, each suchside rail structure comprising in combination a unitary body having avertical leg and a horizontal leg extending at right angles from thelower longitudinal edge of said vertical leg, first lug means providedin said body in at least one of said legs adjacent the longitudinal endsof said body,

said first lug means comprising a pair of lugs pierced from said one legand projecting inwardly of said body and adapted to engage an end ofsaid bed slat therebetween to restrain said bed slat from movementlongitudinally of said body,

the height of said lugs being no greater than the thickness of said bedslat disposed therebetween.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said projecting lugs arepierced from said horizontal leg and project upwardly therefrom.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, and including second lug meansprovided in said body and extending inwardly thereof from at least oneof said legs substantially medially the length of said body and havingat least one projecting upstanding lug adapted to pierce and secure oneof said bed slats at an end thereof from movement transversely of saidbody. 4. The structure defined in claim 3, wherein said second lug meanscomprises a pair of projecting spaced apart lugs pierced from said body,

said lugs being disposed in substantially planar alignment,

the distance between the inner opposed edges of said lugs being lessthan the width of said one bed slat adapted to be disposed therebetween,said lugs being adapted to bite into and thus engage the lateral sideedges of said one bed slat.

5. The structure defined in claim 3, wherein said second lug meanscomprises a pair of projecting lugs pierced from said body,

said lugs being disposed in parallel spaced apart relationship adistance sufficient to to receive said bed slat end closely therebetween, and

a third lug pierced from said body in parallel with said pair ofprojecting lugs and intermediate thereof, and having bed slat piercingmeans,

said third lug being adapted to pierce the body of said one bed slatwhen the latter is disposed between said projecting lugs and is broughtto rest upon said one leg.

6. A metallic bed side rail structure for a bed frame having a pair ofspaced apart substantially parallel side rails adapted to support andmaintain a plurality of transversely disposed bed slats in substantiallyparallel longitudinally spaced apart relationship thereon,

each said side rail structure comprising a unitary side rail body havinga vertical leg and a horizontal leg, and

lug means pierced from and provided in at least one of said legsincluding a pair of complementary lugs spaced apart from each other adistance sui'ficient to receive one end of a bed slat therebetween andto restrict movement of said bed slat longitudinally of said side railbody, said lugs projecting from said one leg in the plane of said siderail body and of said bed slat end.

7. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein the upper edges of saidlugs lie substantially in the plane of said bed slat end.

8. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein said spaced apart pair oflugs secure said bed slat end therebetween in substantially closeadjacent relationship.

9. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein each said side railstructure is provided with said lug means for an end of each bed slatsupported thereon.

10. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein said lug means areintegrally formed in said rail body, said pair of lugs being piercedfrom a leg thereof.

11. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein both said lugs of saidpair are disposed in parallel aligned relationship, one with the other.

12. The structure defined in claim 10, wherein said pair of lugs arepierced from said horizontal leg and project upwardly therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 277,470 5/1883 Ellis 5238 746,21112/1903 Webb 5'238 797,011 8/1905 Mosier 5-238 1,014,452 1/1912 Chinter5238 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner

